There are many posts about travel to Hoi An that you can easily find on websites of travel agencies. Some other posts of travel-bloggers,travel-magazines also are interesting and helpful. Contributing as a reference source for you, I want to share with you what I did and you also do when traveling in Hoi An for the first time. But actually I spent a lot of time planning this Hoian trip and it acted more wonderful than I thought. So, keep reading to refer to what to do in Hoian.
Wander In The Ancient Town
Hoian ancient town is something very magnificent Its landscape is so picturesque that I was impressed with yellow golden houses, colorful lantern lines and glorious bougainvillea trees. There are not many motorbikes here. Both tourists and residents seem to be interested in cycling around the town. Along streets have many clothing shops, café shops, painting shops or tailor-made shops. Hoian is famous for Ao dai (Vietnam traditional custom) which is often made to fit your body by skillful tailors. They sewed Ao dai for me just within 5-6 hours. That is the most souvenir I love. Besides, Hoian also possesses some historic relics, ancient houses. You can wander on streets, alleys to take as many photos as possible. Every corner is a perfect and impressive background.
Note: The entrance fee is 120.000 VNĐ for one adult and is free with children. You will choose 5 sights in a total of 22 sights in the ancient town.
Visit Hoi An Market
Yes. I swear that visiting the local market is must-do activity in each of my trips. If you come to the local market, this is the best way you see firsthand the slide of daily life. Remember to come here in the early morning because the market at this time doesn’t have many tourists and you will see the busy scene of locals setting up goods.
This experience I learned after I came to Hoi An market at noon,the market is big but I don’t see anything special called “To immerse into local culture” as I know. In fact, the time to visit the market is important. Then, I came back the next early morning.
But if you want to market to buy things, you can visit at the end of the day. That time, the market is quieter, fewer people, easier to purchase. The last thing, don’t forget to bargain. That is an amazing quiz.
Here is the location of Hoi An market on the map: https://bom.to/E4KQPw
Relax On Beach
It is An Bang beach. An Bang beach is defined for a beach to relax in Hoian, if not, I don’t know what is. An Bang has white sandbar, clear water and a view of far-flung mountains. There are few tourists, vendors on the beach, no noisy sounds from sunbathers. You can walk along the beach and feel peaceful moments.
To fully enjoy An Bang beach, you can choose a beach side restaurant where you can lay on a lounger, view beach, sip up drinks and sample some food. But some restaurants you will feel that if you use their lounges for free, you have to order drinks. It’s really uncomfortable. Wind and Moon restaurants can be one choice for you. They are happy and don’t take any pressure for me to order their drinks immediately though I lay on a lounger for a long time. I mean This is not a money problem, what I find is comfort.
Stroll Around Night Market
It’s so regrettable if you don’t come to the night market. I don’t know whether you visited Hanoi night market before but in Hoian, it is greater with thousands of lantern lighting up. The market opens from 5 pm to 11 pm but you should come here when the dark goes down, lanterns look like stars.
When buying things, you should bargain. Don’t worry about it, it’s normal in Vietnam. I felt like the winner when I bought a jacket at my price. What an amazing game! So,how do you efficiently bargain? You can refer here
Cycle Around The Ancient Town and Through Pastry Fields
Just get up in the early morning, jump up to a bicycle, you will have an authentic experience as locals in Hoian. While other tourists were sleeping, I was cycling through fields, around the ancient town. It is a great chance to breathe fresh air and get a look closer to locals.
I saw a woman hanging wet washing on the clothesline, a fisherman drawing their net on the beach and so on.
You can rent a bicycle at your hotel if they offer or there are a lot of bicycle-hire-shops in the ancient town.
Sample As Many Dishes As You Can
I am starving when I think about dishes in Hoian. I am a little bit jealous of residents because they can eat it every day. They are dumplings stuffed with pork, shrimp, Banh Mi filled with a lot of fillings, noodle soup with rich broth, fresh seafood, etc. Let’s try as many foods as you can, some dishes you just only try original taste here are com ga (Vietnamese chicken rice), Cao Lau and more.
Important Note Vietnam Visa
Vietnam visa: Firstly, you need to check whether you are required for a Vietnam visa or not. With me, I applied for a Vietnam visa on arrival from a travel company. They show me the way to fill information into an online application. It’s just 2 working days and they sent me a visa approval letter via email. Then I print that letter out, present at Immigration Counter at the airport as soon as you arrive and get a stamp visa. For further information, you can refer to Vietnamvisa.org.vn/visa-fee/.
P/s: I hope all the information above will be helpful for you. These days, I stay at home because of the spreading of coronavirus. Watch again photos taken in Hoian, and feel that I miss that place a lot. Sure, I will come back to Vietnam, Hoi An after the pandemic.
